Sizing Information

Any veteran area rug shopper will tell you — before buying one, you need to know your area's measurements.

• Measure your space with a steel measuring tape. Sorry, good guessers — "eyeing up" the area won't work. For example, a 5' x 8' rug may seem large when hanging on display in a store, but it's too small to accommodate most sofa groupings.
• Consider the locations of vents and doors; they may affect the placement of the rug.
• Create a smaller, more intimate space with your rug. Measure the length and width of the furnished area and subtract 24" from both measurements.
• Provide for space under a dining table and chairs. Measure the table's length and width and add 54" to each measurement. This will give 27" on all sides to allow space for the chairs, even when pulled away from the table.
• Remember to always double-check your measurements!

Hint: Try to leave an equal amount of flooring exposed as a border on all sides of the room. Or, try to ensure the borders on parallel sides of the rug are equal.

Rug sizes tend to vary between manufacturers. This is due to the complexity of the rug design, variations in material and weaving methods. One company's 9' x 12' rug may not be exactly the same size as another 9' x 12' rug from the same weaver. In short, rug weaving is not an exact science. To effectively describe rug sizes, they are generally rounded off to the closest whole sizes. It's safest to allow 2-6" of leeway between a rug's stated size and its actual size.